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ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

January 3, 2011

Sidney Lowe

SIDNEY LOWE: Well, we just came off of, I think, a good showing, played well actually our last two ballgames, finally got off to a good start the last two ballgames. Last ballgame we obviously had Tracy Smith back, so we were excited about that, and we're just trying to continue to improve and get better.

Q. Just wondered how, now that you've got quite a few games under your belt, you've evaluated your freshmen so far. They're obviously making a tremendous contribution and an impact, and just what do you think about the way they've performed to this point?
SIDNEY LOWE: I think all three of those young men have done a good job. It's a difficult deal for freshmen, as we know, but I think they've handled the situation well. I think they've been put in a tough situation because a lot of pressure was put on them and expectations from the outside, and I think they've handled it well.
I think they're going to continue to get better. They still have a lot to learn, but I've been very pleased with their progress.

Q. When there are that many that you're relying on as part of your rotation, do you as a coach find yourself, do you have to grit your teeth a little bit and let them play through mistakes a little bit more than you do with more seasoned players?
SIDNEY LOWE: You do. Yes, you do, because you know they're going to make mistakes. You know they are. And you have to deal with it, with some of it. But the more difficult ones are the mistakes that if they continuously make the same mistake, those are the ones where you get a little -- not frustrated, but you've got to say something to them now to get them to understand, again, you can't make the same mistake. You can't come down the floor and do something one time and know that it's wrong and then come down and do it again.
But I know they're going to make mistakes. The key is learning from those mistakes and not doing -- not committing the same mistakes over and over again, and I think that's the biggest thing right now is for them to get that and understand that.

Q. You mentioned Tracy being back. How long has it been where the last few weeks you've been saying Tracy, just got to go out there and you've got to give it a shot, because after the game the other day it was pretty clear he felt very good about how he performed; it just seemed that he was somewhat timid to go out there and try it because like you were saying he's just never gone through an injury like this?
SIDNEY LOWE: Yeah, that's a difficult thing for him, and being a senior and just being sure that he's ready to go, and he's never had an injury like this before. He was a little hesitant to go out there and give it a try, even with a little slight discomfort, he wasn't comfortable with it, and that's what I was saying, it's just a matter of him going out and doing it and understanding that it might be a little discomfort, but the injury is gone. He's just got to get used to playing with that.
He said he felt great in the ballgame. In fact, he played more minutes than anticipated. But he asked me if he could stay in because he felt good, and we did that.
Now we go today and see how he feels today, see if there's any discomfort, and then we'll go from here. The game was great. My concern now is to see how he feels now.

Q. And also you've always had this great ability to let things roll off your back, whether it's people talking about your personal life or talking about Duke and Carolina winning National Championships down the street and your coaching status, that sort of thing. How are you able to not let any of that bother you?
SIDNEY LOWE: Well, you know, I think that's part of the game. I think unfortunately it's part of -- I guess it's part of the job. I just try to keep my focus. I keep my focus on these young men and trying to do the best I can with them on and off the court, and hopefully they graduate, and when they leave here that they're better young men than they were when they came here, try to teach them what I know as far as basketball, about going out and trying to be a team and winning and all those things. I just try to keep my focus there. I think people are going to have their opinions, and that's just the way life is.
I chose a profession that other people can voice their opinions publicly, unlike some other jobs. We can't go on their job and put that in the paper, what they think about their job.
I just kind of let it go and I don't worry about it. I work with our staff and I work with our administration, and that's what's important to me. And then the fans that are there, the fans that support, good, bad, indifferent, the ones that are always there, the ones that show up to all the games and support us, and that's what's important.

Q. With Tracy's return, what changes specifically for Richard? Obviously he had a very nice performance in Tracy's first game back.
SIDNEY LOWE: Well, I mean, obviously Tracy is going to get some of those minutes that Richard was getting at five because we still have DeShawn Painter who's doing a good job for us there. But I think Richard is going to feel -- he might feel, not freer, but just knowing that he's got Tracy in there, I think he's going to be different the way he plays because he's now concentrating mainly at four, and he's got Tracy in there working with him. He knows he can make certain passes to Tracy as we saw in that last ballgame. He made some great passes to Tracy and Tracy was able to finish it. Those guys have -- they were together last year, and I think he feels very comfortable with him.
But I think as far as his minutes and his position, I think he's going to get most of his minutes at four now. But he still could play some five. But I think just having Tracy in there, he's comfortable with it.

Q. I'm not sure how much RPI watching you do, but half the league is over 100. Normally you could get into the league and win some games and get to the tournament. With where the teams stand right now, is that a concern for you?
SIDNEY LOWE: I saw that, and no, I think we have to just concentrate on what we're doing. We have to concentrate on trying to win as many games as we can and let the chips fall where they may.
I know earlier our RPI was pretty good. When we played Georgetown and Syracuse and Wisconsin and Arizona it was great, and now it's gone down. But I think in the end if we do what we're capable of doing, then that'll take care of itself because I think those games are still important. Those games will come down, and not only that, but those games we played without Tracy Smith, so if we come back now with Tracy back and have a great year, then I think that'll take care of itself. Our conference is still tough. Our conference is tough, and I think it'll show that.

Q. You say "those games." You mean ACC games, right?
SIDNEY LOWE: Yeah, the ACC games. I mean, all games. We need to play well in all of our games.

Q. I know, but you've got 17 left and I think 16 of them are ACC.
SIDNEY LOWE: Right.

Q. You know where I'm going.
SIDNEY LOWE: Yes.

End of FastScripts

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